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The Love Life of Some Guy
Sometimes, the only way to find yourself is to lose who you thought you were.
The Love Life of Some Guy is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel diving deep into nearly twenty years of trying—and failing—to figure out love. Through a string of relationships, situationships, and missed connections, one young bisexual man stumbles his way through identity, intimacy, and everything in between.
Told with sharp humor and unflinching honesty, this is a story about growing up, craving connection, and slowly realizing that love isn’t something you can find in others until you begin to find it in yourself.
For anyone who has ever felt like they were a little behind, a little lost, or a little too much, this one’s for you.
The Love Life of Some Guy is a raw, darkly funny coming-of-age novel diving deep into nearly twenty years of trying—and failing—to figure out love. Through a string of relationships, situationships, and missed connections, one young bisexual man stumbles his way through identity, intimacy, and everything in between.
Told with sharp humor and unflinching honesty, this is a story about growing up, craving connection, and slowly realizing that love isn’t something you can find in others until you begin to find it in yourself.
For anyone who has ever felt like they were a little behind, a little lost, or a little too much, this one’s for you.
351 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2026
About the author
Jake Zuurbier
7 books25 followersJake Zuurbier, born in 2002, is a multifaceted Dutch author whose creative endeavors span writing, photography & painting. As the founder of Apollo Imperium, he has established a platform that reflects his artistic passions.
In literature, Zuurbier is recognized for his innovative narrative techniques and unique perspectives. His debut novel, “The Detective,” published in February 2023, offers a modern and off-beat twist on classic murder mysteries. His second book, "Erisseth," released in January 2024, delves into themes of magic, love, and betrayal, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond writing, Jake's artistic expression includes painting and sketching, with his visual art characterized by a blend of traditional techniques and contemporary themes. His works vary from realism to abstract. His photography reflects his keen eye for detail and composition
In literature, Zuurbier is recognized for his innovative narrative techniques and unique perspectives. His debut novel, “The Detective,” published in February 2023, offers a modern and off-beat twist on classic murder mysteries. His second book, "Erisseth," released in January 2024, delves into themes of magic, love, and betrayal, showcasing his versatility as an author.
Beyond writing, Jake's artistic expression includes painting and sketching, with his visual art characterized by a blend of traditional techniques and contemporary themes. His works vary from realism to abstract. His photography reflects his keen eye for detail and composition
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 28, 2026
Reading "The Love Life of Some Guy" was such a fun experience. It reminded me of some of my own romantic escapades in my early 20s, which made it feel really relatable. While reading, it felt like I was just chatting with a good friend who was telling me stories, and I love that. The writing is so casual and easygoing, like chats over several coffee and wine outings.
I liked how much it felt like a memoir, very personal and real. In the end, the book leaves you with a sense of hope, seeing how the main character grew into himself throughout all his relationships, both friendships and romantic ones.
I liked how much it felt like a memoir, very personal and real. In the end, the book leaves you with a sense of hope, seeing how the main character grew into himself throughout all his relationships, both friendships and romantic ones.
June 8, 2026
A very sweet coming-of-age novel. I found the almost stream-of-conciousness writing style surprisingly engaging. An easy cosy read.
May 16, 2026
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. This is not a typical romance, in fact I dare say it is not a romance at all, since it is more focused on the life of this "some guy" than it is a stereotypical romance novel with the tropes we all know and love. This book is a definite coming of age story, as the cover suggests, and I really liked it.
This story was one I read as an ARC, thank you Jake for sending me this to review!
The main character is not named until the very last page, and I think this is a choice the author made as a way of showing that he finally found himself after all that he went through. Neither is the location very well known, though it likely plays out somewhere in Europe because of school trips mentioned in the story that take place in Berlin and France. I'm not sure why the author chose to not disclose location, but I do think it adds to the timelessness of the story, as you can make the main character anyone you want this way.
I particularly loved the last half of the book, even though I really liked the first half too. The first half, however, is more relationship (and such) focused, and while this is very engaging and fast paced, I really enjoyed when there came a sense of mental peace in the second half of the story, where the main character starts to find who he is. This is very well executed and feels very grounded and like someone could actually have a progression as a person like this character did.
The character work in general is simply phenomenal. Truly reminiscent of my own years as a teenager. some characters I loved, some I loved to hate, and some I found pieces of myself in. I can tell the author placed great care in developing these characters, and I found the intentional withholding of names of certain characters a very interesting narrative choice.
I hated Jay. Oh, I hated Jay. What a despicable human being. This is not the main character, and I will not spoil anything, but lord heaven above, I hated Jay.
I really liked how the author tied up the last two chapters and the Molly story arc. Some tears came out reading that, and I think that says it all.
All in all, I highly recommend reading this book. It is a celebration of life and a win for everyone struggling with identity and love in their lives.
This story was one I read as an ARC, thank you Jake for sending me this to review!
The main character is not named until the very last page, and I think this is a choice the author made as a way of showing that he finally found himself after all that he went through. Neither is the location very well known, though it likely plays out somewhere in Europe because of school trips mentioned in the story that take place in Berlin and France. I'm not sure why the author chose to not disclose location, but I do think it adds to the timelessness of the story, as you can make the main character anyone you want this way.
I particularly loved the last half of the book, even though I really liked the first half too. The first half, however, is more relationship (and such) focused, and while this is very engaging and fast paced, I really enjoyed when there came a sense of mental peace in the second half of the story, where the main character starts to find who he is. This is very well executed and feels very grounded and like someone could actually have a progression as a person like this character did.
The character work in general is simply phenomenal. Truly reminiscent of my own years as a teenager. some characters I loved, some I loved to hate, and some I found pieces of myself in. I can tell the author placed great care in developing these characters, and I found the intentional withholding of names of certain characters a very interesting narrative choice.
I hated Jay. Oh, I hated Jay. What a despicable human being. This is not the main character, and I will not spoil anything, but lord heaven above, I hated Jay.
I really liked how the author tied up the last two chapters and the Molly story arc. Some tears came out reading that, and I think that says it all.
All in all, I highly recommend reading this book. It is a celebration of life and a win for everyone struggling with identity and love in their lives.
June 9, 2026
A very relatable book about what was like to grow up queer in the 2010s
This is a semi-autobiographical book chronicling the main character's experiences growing up in the Netherlands from his late teens to early twenties (mostly 2010s) It chronicles his difficulties and experiences in dating, finding work, going to school, finding a job and just generally figuring out what kind of man he wants to be.
In the first half of the book, he tries on various kinds of personas, like beach guy, emo guy, and workout guy, and dates both males and females, in an effort to find out who he wants to be. While some parts of this section of the book drag a bit as the main character deals with depression and has a very rough time at school, the author actually does a fantastic job conveying how time can seem to go forever when you're having a rough time in life and you're not sure exactly who you are.
After leaving high school, the main character enters yet another rite of passage for young people in Western civilization: the endless chain of dead-end jobs. This section, for me, was when the book really got going, because it gives the main character a chance to get out of his comfort zone, learn skills, and interact with other people from backgrounds very different to his, and generally starts to see himself as possessing some sort of intrinsic value outside of who he was before. As someone who spent six years in a dead-end job after college, but who fondly looks back on that time because of the people that I encountered along the way. I definitely identified with this.
The book ends on a hopeful note as the main character realized that maybe, just maybe, he's going to be okay.
I appreciated the book for its very accurate portrayal of teenage ennui, the clarity of the characterizations, and the almost total absence of homophobia, which, if it is accurate to how the author grew up, he was very fortunate.
This is a semi-autobiographical book chronicling the main character's experiences growing up in the Netherlands from his late teens to early twenties (mostly 2010s) It chronicles his difficulties and experiences in dating, finding work, going to school, finding a job and just generally figuring out what kind of man he wants to be.
In the first half of the book, he tries on various kinds of personas, like beach guy, emo guy, and workout guy, and dates both males and females, in an effort to find out who he wants to be. While some parts of this section of the book drag a bit as the main character deals with depression and has a very rough time at school, the author actually does a fantastic job conveying how time can seem to go forever when you're having a rough time in life and you're not sure exactly who you are.
After leaving high school, the main character enters yet another rite of passage for young people in Western civilization: the endless chain of dead-end jobs. This section, for me, was when the book really got going, because it gives the main character a chance to get out of his comfort zone, learn skills, and interact with other people from backgrounds very different to his, and generally starts to see himself as possessing some sort of intrinsic value outside of who he was before. As someone who spent six years in a dead-end job after college, but who fondly looks back on that time because of the people that I encountered along the way. I definitely identified with this.
The book ends on a hopeful note as the main character realized that maybe, just maybe, he's going to be okay.
I appreciated the book for its very accurate portrayal of teenage ennui, the clarity of the characterizations, and the almost total absence of homophobia, which, if it is accurate to how the author grew up, he was very fortunate.
June 14, 2026
An easy and enjoyable read.
A semi-autobiography memoir, you'll be told the ups and downs, lefts and rights (if you understand this, well done) of the main character's life and love stories. The first-person view is written nicely, and the chunking is done right that you can pause reading it and continue where you left off without that feeling of "Uh what did the book said in the previous chapter?". And you don't need to think to dive into this book, which is to my liking because some are just too heavy to enjoy.
You might feel a little overwhelmed with the number of names being thrown (as my review suggested, it's love stories), but it will not diminish the enjoyment.
N.B. an ARC reader
A semi-autobiography memoir, you'll be told the ups and downs, lefts and rights (if you understand this, well done) of the main character's life and love stories. The first-person view is written nicely, and the chunking is done right that you can pause reading it and continue where you left off without that feeling of "Uh what did the book said in the previous chapter?". And you don't need to think to dive into this book, which is to my liking because some are just too heavy to enjoy.
You might feel a little overwhelmed with the number of names being thrown (as my review suggested, it's love stories), but it will not diminish the enjoyment.
N.B. an ARC reader
May 29, 2026
Thank you to Jake for the ARC opportunity!
This was a beautifully written coming of age novel that honestly read like a memoir more than a romance book.
I saw in another review how the main character became our friend and I honestly couldn't put it more beautifully. We became friends with the main character and went on his journey together. We follow along as he find himself through the pages until we finally find out the name of our friend on the last page, when he finds and is comfortable with himself.
This is definitely one I'd recommend to someone looking for a lighthearted read- it brought me joy reading it and watching the discoveries our new friend found.
This was a beautifully written coming of age novel that honestly read like a memoir more than a romance book.
I saw in another review how the main character became our friend and I honestly couldn't put it more beautifully. We became friends with the main character and went on his journey together. We follow along as he find himself through the pages until we finally find out the name of our friend on the last page, when he finds and is comfortable with himself.
This is definitely one I'd recommend to someone looking for a lighthearted read- it brought me joy reading it and watching the discoveries our new friend found.
June 23, 2026
This was such an amazing experience of finding your own self and really just embracing experience and life.
I had the best time reading it. I felt myself in the words of being lost, confused and hurt but also, wanting to find my space and place.
I loved the pace and the format! Thank you so much for sharing your words and this story.
I had the best time reading it. I felt myself in the words of being lost, confused and hurt but also, wanting to find my space and place.
I loved the pace and the format! Thank you so much for sharing your words and this story.
June 4, 2026
Magnifique roman! C'est la première fois que je lis un livre en anglais et j'ai adoré ! Le personnage ressemble vraiment a plusieurs situations vecu dans la jeunesse d'une personne Queer ! Je recommande vivement ce roman et ce brillant auteur
May 14, 2026
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The “guy” in this story became my friend. He spoke to me like any other friend would, telling me about his life and his loves. What attracted me to the story at first was the promise that it might be an MM romance, but it is not that: it is an honest opening up from a fictional friend to the reader.
In this book, we meet a guy who remains nameless. This narrative device, including the lack of precise details about the setting and timeline, allow for the narrator to be whomever you imagine him to be, and it creates a certain timelessness that will allow this story to be read as “present tense” for a long time to come.
The main character tells us of his experiences, his sadness, his solitude, his sense of self-worth, and we get to see his development over time as he weaves a story that feels like I am sitting with him and getting to know him over the course of a long friendship. I have to say that at the end, I wanted more. I wanted to know what would happen next, and that’s a gift.
There are a few small issues: the author uses certain phrases a lot and there are some typos and grammatical errors. To me, most of these seemed like choices the author made about the voice of the narrator - that the narrator is not a native English speaker - and that made it feel authentic to the way someone would speak. For some folks, it will be a negative.
Overall, I enjoyed the story enormously. I lived vicariously through the guy’s youthful escapades, and was thrilled at his growth. I recommend this book and will be checking out the author’s book, “Darius.”
The “guy” in this story became my friend. He spoke to me like any other friend would, telling me about his life and his loves. What attracted me to the story at first was the promise that it might be an MM romance, but it is not that: it is an honest opening up from a fictional friend to the reader.
In this book, we meet a guy who remains nameless. This narrative device, including the lack of precise details about the setting and timeline, allow for the narrator to be whomever you imagine him to be, and it creates a certain timelessness that will allow this story to be read as “present tense” for a long time to come.
The main character tells us of his experiences, his sadness, his solitude, his sense of self-worth, and we get to see his development over time as he weaves a story that feels like I am sitting with him and getting to know him over the course of a long friendship. I have to say that at the end, I wanted more. I wanted to know what would happen next, and that’s a gift.
There are a few small issues: the author uses certain phrases a lot and there are some typos and grammatical errors. To me, most of these seemed like choices the author made about the voice of the narrator - that the narrator is not a native English speaker - and that made it feel authentic to the way someone would speak. For some folks, it will be a negative.
Overall, I enjoyed the story enormously. I lived vicariously through the guy’s youthful escapades, and was thrilled at his growth. I recommend this book and will be checking out the author’s book, “Darius.”
May 29, 2026
ARC read. I've been sent this in exchange for an honest review.
As an auto biography, this is really up there. I really liked the writing style that Zuurbier uses in this novel, and I think it complements the story very well. It was especially interesting to read knowing it all happened, at least to a certain extent. I have chatted with Zuurbier via instagram one or two times and this insight into who he is as a person and what he has lived through is really personal and honest. I have so much respect for putting his entire life out there in a vulnerable way like this.
I was hooked throughout the entire story. I saw reviews on this book (yes, I looked at others' opinions before constructing my own, I am new to goodreads) very split on which part they liked better, the first half or the second half, but I think both are great in their own respects. The first part is, like some other people said, higher paced, but the feeling that things are finally settling down in the second half was really good to read, because this is about a real person, and I wish him nothing but peace and love. He deserves it after all he's been through (really, he has been through a lot :'o).
I am so excited to read his other works, if they're anything like this book, I think I will like them a lot.
Thank you to Jake and Apollo Imperium for allowing me to read this story before release! I am so honored!
As an auto biography, this is really up there. I really liked the writing style that Zuurbier uses in this novel, and I think it complements the story very well. It was especially interesting to read knowing it all happened, at least to a certain extent. I have chatted with Zuurbier via instagram one or two times and this insight into who he is as a person and what he has lived through is really personal and honest. I have so much respect for putting his entire life out there in a vulnerable way like this.
I was hooked throughout the entire story. I saw reviews on this book (yes, I looked at others' opinions before constructing my own, I am new to goodreads) very split on which part they liked better, the first half or the second half, but I think both are great in their own respects. The first part is, like some other people said, higher paced, but the feeling that things are finally settling down in the second half was really good to read, because this is about a real person, and I wish him nothing but peace and love. He deserves it after all he's been through (really, he has been through a lot :'o).
I am so excited to read his other works, if they're anything like this book, I think I will like them a lot.
Thank you to Jake and Apollo Imperium for allowing me to read this story before release! I am so honored!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews